


An Informal Welcome

by MiraMira



Series: genhp_ldws entries [5]
Category: Harry Potter - Rowling
Genre: Female Protagonist, Gen, One Shot, Party, Wordcount: 100-1.000, Workplace
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-07-04
Updated: 2010-07-04
Packaged: 2017-10-10 09:22:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 488
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/98100
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MiraMira/pseuds/MiraMira
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Professor McGonagall wasn't always a Hogwarts fixture - as difficult as that might be for her newest colleague to believe.</p>
            </blockquote>





	An Informal Welcome

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Round 6 of the Gen Fic Last Drabble Writer Standing competition at LJ

"Ah, here's the woman of the hour!" Headmaster Dumbledore threw an arm around Minerva and escorted her through the doorway of the crowded staff room. "Horace was just organizing a bet on whether you'd turn up for your own welcome party."

"Purely in jest, I assure you," said Professor Slughorn, raising his glass.

"Only because he couldn't find any takers," Professor Kettleburn whispered in her ear, as he made a great flourish of pulling out a chair.

Professor Flitwick chortled. "I warned you she'd spend the whole night working on lesson plans if someone didn't fetch her."

Minerva shook her head, praying she wasn't blushing as she sank into her seat. "I'm sorry. Andrew Corner transfigured his hand into a hacksaw, and I only just managed to undo the damage."

"It's all right, Minerva. Nobody's going to take points for tardiness," the Headmaster told her, eyes twinkling. "Something to drink? There's still quite a bit of this lovely cabernet."

But the well intentioned remark had Minerva feeling more of a schoolgirl than ever, and the mere thought of indulging in this company was enough to leave her lightheaded. "Just water, thank you, Headmaster."

"Ah, ah!" Dumbledore waggled a finger at her in mock reproof. "What did I say about titles?"

Minerva took a deep breath. "Albus," she forced out, before blurting, "I'm sorry, sir. I don't think I'll ever grow accustomed to that."

Dumbledore - _Albus_ \- just smiled more broadly and handed her a glass of wine. "Give it time, my dear. We have many years of long and fruitful acquaintance ahead of us. Now, tell me," he went on, before she could protest the beverage error, "how did Mr. Corner accomplish that feat? Accidental or not, I was frankly uncertain he possessed that level of talent."

"Well…" Before Minerva knew it, her glass was half empty, the entire room was laughing uproariously at Mr. Corner's travails, and she had relaxed enough to permit a small smile of her own. Perhaps she did belong here, after all.

-

"Look who's arrived! And right on time, which is more than I can say for the rest of the faculty." Minerva ushered her newest hire into the staff room and relieved a house elf of its tray. "Congratulations on surviving your first day. Can I offer you anything?"

Her companion took a seat and attempted to brush the dirt from his robes, without much success. "Tea would be lovely. Thank you, Professor."

She clucked in gentle disapproval as she handed him his saucer. "Neville, please. I've told you, we're colleagues now. No need to stand on ceremony."

Poor Neville, who'd just taken a swallow of his tea, nearly choked. "I'm sorry, ma'am," he told her when he recovered. "I don't think I'm ever going to get used to calling you anything else."

Minerva smiled, pouring a drop of Old Ogden's into her own cup. "You'd be surprised, dear boy. You'd be surprised."


End file.
